Gr a d e Cr ossi n g 

Acci d e nt Pr e dic t o n 

M o d el

Bl oc k e d Cr ossi n g 

P ort al 

C o m pr e h e nsi v e R ail 

S af et y R e vi e w 

of A mtr a k 

C o m pl e t o n of H o urs 

of S er vic e a n d 

F a t g u e St u di es 

P osi t v e Tr ai n 

C o ntr ol St u d y 

O p er a t n g Cr e w 

M e m b er Tr ai ni n g, 

Q u ali fc a t o n, 

a n d C er t fc a t o n 

S ec t o n 2 2 4 0 2 F R A will c o n t n u e t o d ev el o p t h e gr a d e cr ossi n g acci d e nt a n d 

s ev erity m o d el as a t o ol t o a n alyz e acci d e nt risk at hi g h w ay-r ail gr a d e cr ossi n gs; 

i n a d di t o n, F R A will pr ovi d e tr ai ni n g t o st ak e h ol d ers o n t h e us e of t his 

a ut o m at e d t o ol.

S ec t o n 2 2 4 0 4 F R A will c o n t n u e t o i m pr ov e t h e p u blic bl ock e d cr ossi n g 

p ort al. T his p ort al will pr ovi d e d at a t o st ak e h ol d ers o n t h e u n d erlyi n g c a us es of 

bl ock e d cr ossi n gs a n d pr ovi d e v al u a bl e f e e d b ack t o i d e n tfy w ays t o h el p r e d uc e 

t h e n u m b er a n d/ or t m e cr ossi n gs ar e bl ock e d. F R A will pr ovi d e a p u blicly 

av ail a bl e a n n u al r e p ort o n its f n di n gs e ac h y e ar f or t h e n ext t hr e e y e ars.

S ec t o n 2 2 4 0 7 Wit hi n o n e y e ar of e n act m e nt, F R A will c o n d uct a S af ety 

M a n a g e m e nt Syst e m a u dit of A mtr ak. T his a u dit will f oc us o n all l ev els of s af ety 

m a n a g e m e nt a n d c o m pli a nc e wit h r e g ul a t o ns a n d o p er a t n g a n d s af ety r ul es 

f or t h e s af ety of t h e p u blic a n d A mtr ak e m pl oy e es. R es ults of t his a u dit will b e 

pr ovi d e d t o C o n gr ess, i ncl u di n g f n di n gs a n d r ec o m m e n d a t o ns.

S ec t o n 2 2 4 0 8 Wit hi n 9 0 d ays of e n act m e nt, F R A will b e gi n a pil ot pr o gr a m 

u n d er 4 9 U. S. C o d e § 2 1 1 0 9( e)( 1). T h e r es ults of t his pr o gr a m will b e us e d t o

i d e n tfy w ays t o r e d uc e fa t g u e f or tr ai n, e n gi n e, a n d ot h er r ailr o a d e m pl oy e es. 

F R A is c o or di n a t n g wit h l a b or or g a niz a t o ns of fr ei g ht r ailr o a ds t o p ar tci p at e i n 

t his pil ot pr o gr a m. 

S ec t o n 2 2 4 0 9 Wit hi n t w o y e ars of e n act m e nt, t h e C o m ptr oll er G e n er al 

of t h e U nit e d St at es m ust c o n d uct a st u dy o n t h e a n n u al P T C o p er a t o n a n d 

m ai nt e n a nc e c osts f or p u blic c o m m ut er r ailr o a ds. T h e f n di n gs of t his st u dy m ust 

b e s u b mi t e d t o C o n gr ess. 

S ec t o n 2 2 4 1 0 F R A will c o n t n u e t o a u dit r ailr o a ds f or tr ai ni n g, q u ali fc a t o n, 

a n d c er t fc a t o n pr o gr a ms of l oc o m o tv e e n gi n e ers a n d c o n d uct ors. E ac h y e ar, 

F R A will p u blis h its f n di n gs o n F R A’s p u blic w e bsit e. 

S ec t o n D escri p t o n

T h e F e d er al R ailr o a d A d mi nistr a t o n’s missi o n is t o e n a bl e t h e s af e, r eli a bl e, a n d 

e fci e nt m ov e m e nt of p e o pl e a n d g o o ds f or a str o n g A m eric a, n o w a n d i n t h e f ut ur e. 

T h e i nf or m a t o n b el o w hi g hli g hts t h e c h a n g es a n d r ec e nt s af et y r e q uir e m e nts e n act e d 

i n t h e r es p ec t v e S ec t o ns of t h e Bi p ar ts a n I nfr astr uct ur e L a w.

Bi p ar ts a n I nfr astr uct ur e L a w S af et y F act S h e et

F O R T H E M O S T U P- T O- D AT E I N F O R M ATI O N, VI SI T F R A’ S W E B SI T E: h t ps://r ailr o a ds. d ot. g o v/ BIL
— Bi p ar ts a n I nfr astr uct ur e L a w S af et y F act S h e et —

Tr a ns p ar e nc y a n d 

S af et y 

N e w P ass e n g er 

S er vic e Pr e- R e v e n u e 

S af et y Vali d a t o n Pl a n 

F R A Acci d e nt a n d 

I nci d e nt I n v es t g a t o ns 

A d v a nci n g S af et y a n d 

I n n o v a t v e Tec h n ol o g y 

P ass e n g er R ail 

V e hicl e Occ u p a nt 

Pr ot ec f o n S yst e m 

N a t o n al Ac a d e mi es 

St u d y o n Tr ai ns 

L o n g er T h a n 

7, 5 0 0 F e et 

S ec t o n 2 2 4 1 1 F R A will p u blis h f m ely p u blic n o tc e of a ny r e q u est f or a 

n o n- e m erg e ncy waiv er or f or s us p e nsi o n of a rail s af ety r e g ul a t o n. F R A will 

m ake avail a bl e t h e a p pr o pri at e u n d erlyi n g d ata o n w hic h t h e r e q u est is b as e d 

a n d pr ovi d e a n o p p ort u nity f or p u blic c o m m e nt a n d i n p ut o n t h e r e q u est a n d 

d ata. F urt h er, F R A is c o n t n ui n g its pr oc ess, b e g u n b ef or e p ass a g e of t h e IIJ A, of 

r evi e wi n g a n d a n alyzi n g l o n gsta n di n g waiv ers f or p ot e n t al i nc or p ora t o n i nt o t h e 

rail s af ety r e g ul a t o ns. F R A will c o n t n u e t his pr oc ess, f oc usi n g o n waiv ers t h at 

h av e b e e n i n c o n t n u o us e f ect f or 6 or m or e y e ars a n d F R A will p u blis h its r evi e w 

a n d a n alysis of t h es e l o n gsta n di n g waiv ers eit h er as p art of r e g ul at ory u p d at es, or 

i n s e p arat e p u blic n o tc es s olici t n g f urt h er p u blic c o m m e nt a n d i n p ut. 

S ec t o n 2 2 4 1 6 F R A will r e q uir e n e w i nt ercity c o m m ut er p ass e n g er r ail, 

ext e nsi o n of exis f n g s ervic e, or r e n e w al of s ervic e w hic h h as b e e n o ut of s ervic e 

f or 1 8 0 d ays or m or e t o d ev el o p a c o m pr e h e nsiv e pr e-r ev e n u e s ervic e s af ety 

v ali d a t o n pl a n n o l at er t h a n 6 0 d ays pri or t o t h e st art of r ev e n u e s ervic e. T his 

pl a n m ust b e s u b mi t e d t o F R A f or r evi e w a n d a p pr ov al. 

S ec t o n 2 2 4 1 7 Acci d e nt i nv es t g a t o ns ar e F R A’s hi g h est pri ority. I n 

c o or di n a t o n wit h t h e S ecr et ary, F R A will ev al u at e t h e acci d e nt i nv es t g a t o n 

pr oc ess t o, a m o n g ot h er t hi n gs, e ns ur e i nv es t g at ors k n o w w h e n it is 

a p pr o pri at e, a n d t h e a p pr o pri at e m et h o d, f or: ( 1) g at h eri n g i nf or m a f o n fr o m 

r ailr o a d c arri ers, c o ntr act ors or e m pl oy e es of r ailr o a d c arri ers, or r e pr es e nt a tv es 

of e m pl oy e es of r ailr o a d c arri ers a n d ot h ers; a n d ( 2) c o ns ul t n g wit h t h os e 

p ar t es. 

S ec f o n 2 2 4 1 9 Wit hi n t w o y e ars of e n act m e nt, F R A will c o n t n u e t o 

c oll a b or at e wit h i n d ustry, g ov er n m e nt, priv at e r es e arc h a n d d ev el o p m e nt 

p art n ers, a n d m a n ufact ur ers t o s af ely d ev el o p, ev al u at e, t est, a n d r e g ul at e 

hi g h-s p e e d r ail t ec h n ol o gi es.

S ec t o n 2 2 4 2 0 Wit hi n t w o y e ars of e n act m e nt, F R A will c o n d uct a st u dy 

t h at c o nsi d ers, a m o n g ot h er t hi n gs, t h e p ot e n f al i nst all a t o n a n d us e i n n e w 

p ass e n g er r ail r olli n g st ock of p ass e n g er r ail v e hicl e occ u p a nt pr ot ec t o n 

syst e ms. T his st u dy will c o nsi d er mi ni mizi n g t h e risk of s ec o n d ary c ollisi o ns, 

c ost b e n e ft a n alysis of t h e p ossi bl e i nst all a t o n of occ u p a nt r estr ai nt syst e ms, 

air b a gs, e m er g e ncy wi n d o w r et e n t o n syst e ms, a n d i nt eri or d esi g ns. F R A will 

s u b mit t h e t n di n gs of t his st u dy t o C o n gr ess a n d p u blis h t h e r e p ort o n t h e F R A 

p u blic w e bsit e.

S ec f o n 2 2 4 2 2 F R A will p art n er wit h t h e N a t o n al Ac a d e mi es of Sci e nc e t o 

c o n d uct a st u dy of t h e o p er a t o ns a n d s af ety of tr ai ns l o n g er t h a n 7, 5 0 0 f e et. 

T h e t n di n gs of t his r e p ort will b e s u b mi t e d t o C o n gr ess wit hi n t w o y e ars.

S ec t o n D escri p t o n

F O R T H E M O S T U P- T O- D AT E I N F O R M ATI O N, VI SI T F R A’ S W E B SI T E: h t ps://r ailr o a ds. d ot. g o v/ BIL
— Bi p ar ts a n I nfr astr uct ur e L a w S af et y F act S h e et —

Cri tc al I nci d e nt 

Str ess Pl a ns 

S ec t o n 2 2 4 2 4 F R A will ex p a n d 4 9 C F R Part 2 7 2 ( Cri tc al I nci d e nt Str ess Pl a ns) 

t o i ncl u d e e m pl oy e es of c o m m ut er r ailr o a ds, a n d i nt ercity p ass e n g er r ailr o a ds 

i ncl u di n g e m pl oy e es w h o dir ectly i nt er act wit h p ass e n g ers a n d ar e ass a ult e d 

r e q uiri n g m e dic al a t e n f o n. 

R e q uir e m e nts f or 

R ailr o a d Fr ei g ht C ars 

Pl ac e d i nt o S er vic e i n 

t h e U nit e d St at es 

S ec t o n 2 2 4 2 5 O n e y e ar a t er F R A iss u es r e g ul a f o ns, fr ei g ht c ar 

m a n ufact ur ers will h av e t o c er tfy a n n u ally t h eir c ars m e et c ert ai n r e g ul at ory 

r e q uir e m e nts pri or t o t h os e c ars b ei n g pl ac e d i nt o s ervic e o n t h e g e n er al 

r ailr o a d syst e m. 

C o ntr oll e d 

S u bst a nc es Tes t n g 

f or M ec h a nic al 

E m pl o y e es 

S ec t o n 2 2 4 2 7 F R A a m e n d e d t h e r e g ul a t o ns u n d er 4 9 C F R Part 2 1 9 t o 

r e q uir e all m ec h a nic al e m pl oy e es of r ailr o a ds t o b e s u bj ect t o all of t h e br e at h 

or b o dy t ui d t es t n g s et f ort h i n s u b p art C, D, a n d E of s uc h p art, i ncl u di n g 

r a n d o m t es t n g, r e as o n a bl e s us pici o n t es t n g, r e as o n a bl e c a us e t es f n g, 

pr e- e m pl oy m e nt t es t n g, r et ur n-t o- d uty t es t n g, a n d f oll o w- u p t es t n g. Wit hi n 

six m o nt hs, all m ec h a nic al e m pl oy e es of r ailr o a ds will b e s u bj ect e d t o 4 9 C F R 

Part 2 1 9 s u b p arts C, D, a n d E c o ntr ol of alc o h ol a n d dr u g us e. T his i ncl u d es 

r a n d o m t es f n g. 

S ec t o n D escri p t o n

Hi g h- S p e e d Tr ai n 

N ois e E missi o ns 

S ec t o n 2 2 4 2 3 Wit hi n t w o y e ars of e n act m e nt, F R A will p art n er wit h t h e E P A 

t o c o nsi d er r e g ul a t o ns g ov er ni n g tr ai n n ois e f or tr ai ns exc e e di n g 1 6 0 M P H. T his 

will i ncl u d e m a g n e tc l evit a t o n syst e ms a n d ot h er n e w t ec h n ol o gi es.

F O R T H E M O S T U P- T O- D AT E I N F O R M ATI O N, VI SI T F R A’ S W E B SI T E: h t ps://r ailr o a ds. d ot. g o v/ BIL